Dark Angel
by Yuuki Miyaka
Summary: [incomplete] An Ebony's Weavings (Alternate Universe) fic. Rayek finds a battered and bruised Ebony on the side of the road. Will she let him help her?
1. Chapter One

Dark Angel  
An Ebony's Weavings (Alternate Universe) Story  
Chapter One  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

Ebony's eyes drifted open, and she stared at the room around her. Books rose along the wall on dark wooden shelves, giving the room a warm and comforting air to it. She turned her head to the side, realizing immediately that she was in a very masculine library. And as she looked around slowly, she caught sight of a darkly handsome man concentrating on . . . something.

She stared at him for a long moment, feeling vaguely as though she'd known him in some previous existence. His long, black hair fell to mid-back with the blue-violet iridescence of a raven's wing. She couldn't see his eyes, hidden as they were behind odd-looking glasses. But his profile was lovely, all straight lines and sharp angles, giving him a fiercely determined look. His shirt was maroon, with the matte sheen of silk, and seemed to be opened to the middle of his chest. Black jeans held the tucked ends of the shirt, as well as holding his legs tightly encased. Long, fine-boned fingers grasped for various instruments as he worked on the unusual piece of equipment in front of him. 

She rolled her head back to the other side and noticed a wall of brown leather. As she stared at it, realization began to dawn, and she realized she was laying on a brown leather couch, covered by a thin blanket. The couch was soft, as soft as the Sun Village cushions had been so many years before. But Ebony couldn't understand why she was here, and who this person was. She searched her memory, but came up blank. Beginning to grow afraid at the lack of understanding, she sat up, and was immediately greeted by two amber eyes gazing in her direction. 

"How are you?" came the soft, deep query. Not quite ready to speak, Ebony shook her head, and found that to be a mistake. Her head began to pound viciously, and she winced. "That bad, hmmm?" His voice was as melodious as any elf's, and yet it seemed that much more musical to her ears. He rose, walking over to her as he pulled off the strange glasses. His eyes watched intently as he reached out a gentle hand to probe her cheek. Although his touch was as tender as a leaf in the season of New Life, a sharp pain still flooded through the cheek, and she jerked away, staring at him. He winced slightly, the expression gone so quickly that she wondered if she'd even seen it. 

"It hurt," she said, her voice coming out rusty and hoarse. He nodded, agreeing with her. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" That musical voice made her want to curl up in his arms, and the tender touch made her want to let him tend whatever wounds she'd gotten until even the scars had faded. Something about him spoke to her, made her want to forget everything and just stay right there.

"N-no . . . ." Her voice was hesitant, she herself unsure of what would happen. His brows furrowed at her confusion.

"When I found you, some humans had already gotten to you." His amber eyes, as he spoke, shadowed with concern. The same concern washed his dark features a pale brown and his thinned lips seemed nothing more than a straight line under a sharp nose. "They . . . had something against elves." The tapered tips of his pointed ears peeked shyly out of his luxurious hair.

"Some things never change," Ebony replied, her voice still hoarse. Her own fingers came up to rest against her neck, and she felt the soreness there. Looking at him questioningly produced no answers however. Instead, he stood, moving to a table on the other side of the room. When he came back, he held a small hand-mirror.

"I expected you would want to see the damage." Was his own voice slightly hoarse? Ebony couldn't tell. She took the mirror, her fingers brushing his as he let go. 

When she moved it into position, she gasped. Very little of her pale skin showed the true cream color it was. Most of it was mottled blues and purples. A necklace of bruises encircled her throat, confirming her suspicions that the humans had tried to choke her to death. Her lips were cut and swelled, but it was obvious that the swelling had lowered to nearly normal. "How far does it go?" Her question was horrified, and he took the mirror back slowly. Again their fingers brushed.

"Most of your arms and legs are the same. They managed to avoid actually breaking any bones, but I suspect that was your own skill coming to the fore than any mercy on their part. Your back is covered in bruises, which is why you're here, rather than in one of the bedrooms. The beds are rather firmer than this couch is. Your front is the same. They seemed especially interested in beating your stomach. It's a wonder you had no internal injuries." He tried to make the evaluation matter of fact, but his eyes darkened to a tarnished gold, showing the worry he felt.

She wasn't self-conscious that he'd looked. If he had cared enough to try and help her, of course he would have checked the extent of her injuries. She nodded slowly, amazed that she'd gotten off with nothing more than bruises, then wondered about cubs. With the way the humans had attacked her stomach, odds were she would have no cubs. Small price to pay for her life, though the knowledge hurt. 

He must have seen the pain in her eyes, because small lines appeared around his own. "You'll stay here," he muttered softly. "You should be able to heal without a healer, which is good, because there's not one near here. And we can keep a better eye on you."

She opened her mouth to refuse, but thought better of it. Her dark saviour was right. She had to stay here, needed to be watched while she healed from such extensive injuries. "Yes," she breathed softly, staring at him. He colored slightly, a bare darkening of his high cheekbones. If she'd blinked, she would have missed it. Instead, it brought a slight smile to her lips.

"Who are you?" she asked after a moment, still unable to place the features. That earned her a surprised and wry smile. 

"You don't know?" His question was dry, but still gentle. A slight shake of her head managed to show her answer without bringing on the sharp pain it had before. He nodded slowly. "I'm Rayek."

Her eyes widened. "Rayek?" she breathed, amazed. He'd changed since last she saw him. Where before he'd barely topped four feet to her three and a half, now he neared six feet, was perhaps even taller. Though that wasn't the only change, now that she knew his name she couldn't understand why she hadn't been able to make the connection. He was still recognizable, just slightly more defined than he'd been. Her hand came up to touch the side of his face, but just a fingerbreadth before she felt the silk of his cheek, she pulled back, remembering Winnowill's spirit. His eyes grew pained.

"I've changed, I know." His wry smile touched her heart, and she wanted to ask about Winnowill. But she didn't dare. So she kept her mouth closed, just looking at him. He had always been handsome. But now . . . he had so far surpassed everything he'd ever been. And it wasn't just his body. She could see a kindness in his eyes that had displaced the arrogance from before. Oh, she knew that the arrogance was still deep inside. It was too much a part of him to ever truly leave. But before she'd seen that superiority shine through every line of his lean body. Now, it was softened by caring. "She's been dealt with," he said, catching her off- guard. 

"Wh-who?" Her voice was husky now, the hoarseness combining with a very physical awareness of his beauty. He smiled, obviously used to such a reaction.

"Winnowill. I still watch over her, but now she's housed in there." He gestured toward one of the bookshelves, where a small, locked chest sat in solitary beauty. The chest was far from plain. A master had obviously fashioned it, and the tiny padlock seemed simple enough to break. As she looked at him, he grinned. "It's protected well. Don't worry. But don't ever try to open it."

She nodded, accepting it as one of the rules she must abide by as long as he cared for her. She didn't want to know the details. Not really. It was enough to know that she needn't be afraid of what would happen if Rayek accidentally brushed against someone like herself.

As she was regarding him, she heard the door open behind her, and a bright, tenor voice rang out, hurting her ears. "Ah, I see our lovely guest is awake." 

"Ekuar," she greeted softly, blushing at the compliment. Having seen her appearance in the mirror Rayek had lent her, she knew that Ekuar was far from correct. She looked more like a preserver, all blues and purples, than a real elf. 

Ekuar came around to her field of vision, carrying a bowl full of clear broth. He looked her up and down as he sat the bowl down before glancing over at Rayek, who smiled. She caught the communication behind their smiles, and blushed again, which seemed to amuse Rayek a great deal. "He's right, you know," Rayek smiled at her. Her confusion must have shown, because he explained. "You are lovely."

Her eyes grew large, dark drowning pools of pure black. She smiled tentatively, a smile that resulted in Ekuar's only hand, now free, coming up to trace her left temple. It was a place free of the bruises that adorned her face, and so relatively free of pain. Caught up in Ekuar's kind brown eyes, she held her breath for a long moment. It had been some time since anyone had touched her with kindness.

Finally, Ekuar pulled his hand back, and he and Rayek both glanced at the bowl of broth. It was Rayek who voiced their concern. "Do you think you can hold the bowl?" At that point, she looked at her hands. They were also dark with bruises, one of the bruises shaped somewhat like a human's footprint. She didn't recall anyone stepping on her hand, but she didn't recall any of the fight.

She reached out four trembling fingers, and Rayek gently placed the bowl in her hand. She was surprised to find that it had a base on it that allowed easy handling, even when it was hot. The spoon resting inside was round, and Ebony touched it hesitantly.

"You're more than welcome to drink the soup without using the spoon. We didn't know which you'd prefer," Ekuar said, his cheerful voice putting to rest her fears and pains for a long moment. She smiled weakly back at the older elf, and he touched Rayek's shoulder.

Rayek stood, towering above her. "We should let you rest for now. Feel free to wander around the house when you can. But rest, for now. If you have need of us, just Send." He nodded when he saw the comprehension in her eyes, and waited calmly while she drank the little soup in the bowl. When she was done, she gave the bowl to him, their fingers brushing once more before he took his toy and left the room. Ebony lay back down on the pillow, ignoring the pain, and slept some more. 


	2. Chapter Two

Dark Angel  
An Ebony's Weavings (Alternate Universe) Story  
Chapter Two  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

When Ebony woke again, she felt lost and alone. Her hosts had left the room, and the sense of silence pervaded every corner. She rose unsteadily, finding herself clad only in a large white shirt, a shirt whose long sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled up, whose neck was open down to the middle of her chest. Its hem reached her knees, and the slits in each side, allowing the shirt to be worn comfortably tucked in, rose as high as mid-thigh. She smiled softly. It certainly wasn't Ekuar's shirt, which left one other person whose it could possibly be.

Certainly, it was soft enough to be his. It seemed to be made of either linen or silk, so soft it was sinful, and utterly wrinkled. She wondered for a long moment whether they even had clothes for her yet, or whether she'd have to make do with what they could find. Well, any t-shirt Rayek might possess would easily become a dress for her. And though she disliked dresses, they would do well enough. But she wondered if Rayek ever allowed himself to be casual anymore. 

Wandering around the room, she wished that she dared to disturb one of her hosts. But she didn't need anything. She only wanted company. Why she wished for companionship was beyond her. She could remember countless times in the past when she had spent days, if not weeks, by herself. So why would she be afraid to face her own thoughts now? It made no sense, but very few things made sense these days.

Glancing at the books provided no surprise. There was an eclectic collection that reflected the number of years her hosts had lived. The collection was well-organized, and Ebony found herself marvelling at the books so intently, she didn't hear the door open, or the soft footsteps that approached her. She jumped as a warm hand softly gripped her shoulder, and she spun to face Rayek's warm amber eyes looking down on her. She flushed slightly, mumbling apologies.

"No," Rayek said, smiling. "I'm glad you're looking around. If you're interested in anything, feel free to borrow it." He glanced her over, his eyes dark gold with concern. She glanced down, and saw the dark bruises for herself. Her eyes looked back up to his, and he sighed for her. "Are you feeling better?" She nodded gently, moving back to the couch, and he followed her.

"So why did you leave the Wolfriders?" he asked, wishing he understood what would prompt her to do such a thing. The Ebony he remembered would never have parted from the Wolfriders, and would never have let anything happen to them. But her dark eyes told him not to pursue the question, and he let it drop, just keeping her company. He had no real duties today, and Ekuar had mentioned that she would be disoriented and lonely. Not wanting the spirited Wolfrider maiden to lose the fire within her soul, he'd put off all his meetings in favor of helping her.

She took one of his hands, sitting beside him as she watched the view out of the window. The silence between them was companionable, as companionable as any he'd ever shared with Ekuar, though Rayek didn't realize it at first. He felt no need to force speech between them, nor did he feel any need to pretend to be other than what he was. And something within him couldn't understand that. Even with Leetah and Winnowill, he'd had to pretend. But not with this maiden.

Eventually, she lay her head on his shoulder, wincing slightly at the pressure on her bruises but needing the comfort. And he . . . allowed it. There was nothing he understood here, and part of him enjoyed that. When he finally noticed her light snores, he pulled slightly away, taking her with his floating skills and slipping her into the covers of her makeshift bed. Before he left, he touched her temple, a protective feeling drifting over him. It was accompanied by admiration that she could deal with the pain without becoming bitter. He doubted that he could be so understanding or forgiving.

Ekuar walked into the room silently, glancing at the couch where Rayek bent over Ebony. He saw Rayek's eyes trace her features, and a soft, knowing smile lightened his bright features. "Brownskin!" he called quietly, pulling Rayek's attention away from the pretty Wolfrider maiden. The two walked outside where they could talk freely.

"I've been able to track down the humans that did this to her, Brownskin." At Rayek's look of shock, Ekuar chuckled. "It was simple enough. I have friends who heard them crowing about their victory over one of our kind and reported back to me. From there, it was easy enough to get a description of them and send more friends out to visit them personally." Rayek shook his head.

"And people wonder how I get my information. Ekuar, only you . . ."

Ekuar merely grinned. "They're friends, Rayek. You, of all people, know how nice it is to have friends." Rayek flushed at the words, smiling at Ekuar. "At any rate, it seems they were paid to do it, though three of the five crowed that they would have done it for free." He nodded at Rayek's scowl. "Whoever bought them knew what to look for."

"If someone paid them to, then we'll have to be sure to protect Ebony better," Rayek muttered. "Perhaps a bodyguard, since I can't very well lock her up in here."

They both started as Ebony's voice drifted to them. "Or you can leave it alone. Whatever happens to me is hardly your concern." Rayek looked up guiltily, feeling somehow as though she'd caught him at some crime. She met his gaze levelly, a frown on her delicate features. "You can't protect someone who wants her freedom more than your protection, Rayek. You, of anyone, should know that."

He walked to her, reaching out a gentle hand to prod at one of the bruises. She winced, but continued to stare at him. Her eyes were dark, unreadable pools of blackness. She caught his hand as it fell away from her face, holding it between two bruised yet strong hands. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Blackhair. But I have to live my life, without a cage around me."

He scowled at the nickname, but let it drop. There were more important matters. "Whoever is out there has it in for you, Ebony. I can't let you blithely walk into more pain. Next time, they may be out to kill." His eyes pleaded with her to understand, but she merely shook her head, wincing when she saw stars.

"I want your promise that when I decide to go, you won't stop me. What I need from life is not to be found in here. If it were, perhaps I'd be content to stay and let you guard me for the rest of my existence. But I need more than that. And I have to find it on my own." As she spoke, Ekuar approached, laying his single hand atop the two that gripped Rayek. He held their hands together, his brown eyes sad.

"You have it," Rayek ground out, knowing that if he did not promise that, she would only leave then. Ekuar nodded sadly, wishing she would stay. The three stared at each other, the moment too intimate for mere words. At last, their hands fell to their sides, still feeling the grip of the others. Rayek swallowed, watching as Ebony turned back to the library. Ekuar glanced at him briefly, then followed her. Rayek, left behind with his own thoughts, scowled. She was a fool. But even as he watched the door close, he knew she was right. He may be content to live here, but she could never be. He headed toward his garden, wondering why the idea was important to him. 


	3. Chapter Three

Dark Angel  
An Ebony's Weavings (Alternate Universe) Story  
Chapter Three  
by: Yuuki Miyaka

She was leaving. Rayek scowled down at his notebook, marking with graceful strokes the numbers necessary. She was leaving. He shifted his gaze to the crumpled papers that littered the floor near the wastecan. She was leaving. Those same strong fingers that had written the numbers in a flowing script now broke the pencil he held in two. She was leaving, and there was nothing he could say to stop her.

It was a damnfool move as far as he was concerned. The humans that had hurt her had been dealt with, and her bruises were little more than fading sallow shapes on her skin. But it was the principle of the matter, the fact that she was *not* safe outside of his home.

He flung one half of the pencil against the far wall, barely satisfied with the sharp sound of wood hitting the glass of a mirror. The mirror remained intact, and the pencil piece fell to the floor. She was leaving.

Why did it matter so much to him? Even as the question flitted through his mind he pushed it away. It mattered because she was an elf. No other justification was needed or wanted. She was a Wolfrider, a barbarian. That precluded the thought of any real caring, of any . . . What was he thinking?! With a grimace he rose, pacing. Clearly the years alone, with only Ekuar for company, had gotten to him. Why else would he be thinking such thoughts?

Especially about someone who was leaving . . . .

* * *

It had been six months since she'd left. Six months without a word. Somehow she'd managed to disappear completely, leaving Ekuar's contacts confused and clueless. Rayek was not precisely surprised by this, knowing the Wolfriders' tendency for insidious tricks. Certainly the black-haired huntress had a slippery nature. Still, he felt annoyed by the disappearance, the frustration apparent in his ever-increasing temper. Though Ekuar never bore the brunt of it, Rayek could see the knowledge in the stone-shaper's kind, brown eyes.

She'd gotten to him somehow. That was the only real explanation for it. Every time he thought about her, he could remember the frailty of her initial night, the way he'd shuddered every time he looked at her, yet unable to take his eyes off of her for a moment. She'd been so vulnerable, so delicate, and yet . . . those bruises had been mute testimony to her sheer strength of will.

Maybe that was it, he thought. He could respect willpower and ambition, even in the most coarse of barbarians. And she had shown herself to be at least moderately civilized. With a wry chuckle, he looked back down at the paper in his hand.

The knock came a moment later, and Rayek bid the door to open using his powers. He gaped, for a moment, at the sight of Ekuar standing in front of two forms, one human and one elf. Bidding them entry, he watched as Ekuar directed the human to lay the unconscious elf in his arms down on the softest leather couch, then asked the same man to go get bandages. Drifting over to the couch in question, Rayek was surprised to find the object of his recent musings laying before him, looking even more frail than before.

The bruises were back, making her look like a calico cat. Bright purples and greens coupled with the vivid reds of abrasions and gashes, the patchwork colors accented by small patches of rust where blood had dried. Her clothing was useless, hiding little below the waist and nothing above. It was clear what her attackers had borne in mind after beating her. Pained amber eyes caught worried brown ones, the first set asking a question. A small shake of the head was answer enough. No, the humans had not achieved their final goal before she'd been found. A hand stained with a permanent tan brushed over her forehead, the gesture tender and gentle enough to answer any doubts Ekuar might have harbored about bringing her back.

"Clean her up and get her wounds set. Contact Leetah or Mender as soon as either returns to the lands. And then find out who did this to her. I want them punished." The orders were snapped out, but Ekuar took no offense, as Rayek knew he wouldn't. This pale-skinned little beauty had captured both their hearts during her first stay. And they would protect her with their lives, if need be.

_With their lives . . ._


End file.
